Thank you for choosing Valley View Medical Center to meet your health car e needs. We consider it a privilege to serve you and your family. The goal of every Valley View Medical Center staff member is to make your stay as pleasant and as comfortable as possible while following the medical care plan especially designed for you by your physician. Please do not hesitate to ask questions about your care or any of the hospital's services.

The information presented below covers a wide range of hospital services and policies. If you need additional information, please call us at 928-788-CARE (2273).

We will do our best to resolve any difficulties that might arise while you are here or pass along any suggestions or compliments that you may have.

Admissions

Patients may pre-admit once admission has been scheduled. Admissions are processed via the registration clerks in the front lobby. After-hours admissions are processed at the registration desk in the Emergency Department. Once you arrive on the nursing unit, the staff will help you get acquainted with your room and your surroundings.

Patients undergoing outpatient surgery should report to the registration desk in the front lobby. Outpatient registration hours are from 6:30 am until 4:30 pm.

Expectant mothers should check in through the Emergency Department before coming to Labor and Delivery. If you are an admission please check in via the registration clerks in the front lobby.

What to Bring

You will need to bring a small number of personal items to the hospital, such as pajamas, robe, slippers, and personal toilet articles including cases for glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids and dentures. If you bring with you or any of the prior mentioned items are brought to you after your admission, please make sure your nurse is aware that you have them in your possession. These items are your responsibility to keep up with. Bring your driver’s license, insurance card, claim forms, and your co-pay and deductible amounts.

Do Not Bring

Do not bring watches, jewelry, cash or other valuables to the hospital. Valley View Medical Center will only be responsible for these items if they are deposited into our safe. Ask your nurse about safe deposits upon admission. Please do not bring medications to the hospital. Your physician and the hospital pharmacy will provide all of your medication while you are in the hospital. However, it is important to provide your physician with a list of all medications that you are currently taking.

Cafeteria

The cafeteria, located towards the front of Valley View Medical Center, is open to visitors for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday. The hours are:

Breakfast 7:00 am to 9:00 am

Lunch 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Because of specific dietary needs and/or medication interactions, patients should not use the cafeteria without specific permission from their physician. Likewise, well-meaning relatives and visitors should not bring food from outside the hospital to a patient without physician approval.

Snacks and soft drinks may be purchased 24 hours per day from the vending machines located adjacent to the Dining Room and the Emergency Room. Non-perishable snacks and various beverages are also available in the Gift Shop adjacent to the main lobby.

Discharge

When you are medically ready to leave the hospital, your physician will write a discharge order on your medical chart. Your nurses and your physician will discuss discharge information with you, including special diets, medications and limitations on your activities. The case manager will assist you in making arrangements for home care or other community services, if needed. Your physician will let you know if an office visit is necessary after discharge.

Be sure to check your room for all personal belongings and reclaim any valuables from the hospital safe. When your transportation arrives, please allow your nurse to escort you from the hospital.

Family Waiting Room and Visiting Hours

Visiting hours at Valley View Medical Center, including the Intensive Care Unit, are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times when visiting the hospital. In the Labor and Delivery Department, only siblings of the newborn under the age of 12 are allowed into the Childbirth Center. All other children must be over the age of 12 to enter the Childbirth Center Department.

Please use caution when bringing young visitors to the hospital. Do not allow children with cough, fever, rash, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or recent exposure to illness to visit.

During seasonal outbreaks of influenza and respiratory viruses, Valley View limits guests and visitors to those 16 and older. These restrictions will also apply to visitors who are the siblings of newborns and the children of patients. This is for the health and safety of our patients, our guests and the community.

Family Waiting Room

For the convenience of your family and friends, Valley View Medical Center has various waiting rooms for Med/Surg, ICU, Labor and Delivery, Emergency and Surgery.

Intensive Care Unit

Due to the nature of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) visitation is determined on an individual basis. Valley View Medical Center traditionally practices an open policy. However, depending on the needs of the patient, visitation may be restricted.

Financial Arrangements

When you are admitted, you should confirm financial arrangements for your care. If you have hospitalization insurance, please bring your policy, identification card, and other pertinent information with you.

Most insurance companies require pre-admission certification. Some require a second opinion before surgery. Please review your pre-admission requirements and coverage and advise your physician of these requirements. This process must be complete before admission, unless it is an emergency. If this has not been done in accordance with the policy's requirements, your insurance benefits may be reduced or denied. Additionally, if the patient leaves the hospital “against medical advice” (“AMA”) your insurance may choose not to pay for the hospitalization.

As a courtesy, Valley View Medical Center will file a verifiable third-party claim and help in any way possible to expedite their payment. However, please remember that the patient is ultimately responsible for the hospital bill because an insurance policy is a contract between patients and their insurance company.

Most hospital insurance plans do not fully cover hospital bills. All bills are payable in full at the time of discharge unless financial arrangements have been made with the business office (toll-free at 855-573-5001) before discharge. At the time of discharge, you should be prepared to pay the estimated balance due over the verifiable insurance coverage, or make arrangements with the Business Office. The Business Office is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Arizona time Monday through Friday.

The Business Office will file your claim for insurance assigned to the hospital. If an insurance payment is less than our estimate, you will be billed for the balance due. Valley View Medical Center can provide payment arrangements and financing options.

Assistance with Medicaid eligibility is available by calling the Business Office toll-free at 855-573-5001.

Hospitals and doctors charge separately

Once you are discharged from the hospital, you may receive a separate bill from the physician, anesthesiologist, pathologist, radiologist, or emergency department physician. These physicians are not employees of the hospital.

If you have questions about your coverage of your bill, please call the Business Office toll-free at 855-573-5001 and we will be happy to help you.

Food Services

Because nutrition is an important part of your recovery, our registered dietitian prepares a variety of menus according to your doctor's instructions. If your doctor wishes you to adhere to a special diet once you have left the hospital, our dietitian can explain your new eating plan and how you can adapt it to your lifestyle.

If lab tests or x-rays delay your meal time, the nursing staff will be happy to order a tray after you return to your room. One guest tray will be provided free of charge for families of patients age 12 and under. Nourishment rooms are available on each nursing unit. A variety of snacks and beverages are provided for our patients.

Because of specific dietary needs and/or medication interactions, patients should not use the cafeteria without specific permission from their physician. Likewise, well-meaning relatives and visitors should not bring food from outside the hospital to a patient without physician approval.

Gift Shop

The Gift Shop is located just inside the hospital’s Main Entrance, will be open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. he Gift Shop is closed on Sundays and major holidays.

Housekeeping

Valley View Medical Center believes in the perseverance of our natural resources. Therefore, bed linen is changed every other day or as needed more frequently depending on patient needs. If you need additional linens or housekeeping services, please contact your nurse.

Latex Allergies

In an effort to prevent or reduce exposure to known allergens, thereby reducing the risk of reaction, patients found to be allergic to latex will be treated with medical products which are free of latex or will be shielded from contact with latex.Valley View is primarily a latex-free facility, although some surgical procedures do involve latex products. If you have a latex allergy and will be undergoing any inpatient or outpatient surgical procedures, including endoscopies, please advise both the admitting representative and your nurse about the allergy.

Mail and Flowers

Cards and flowers sent by your family and friends to make your stay more pleasant are delivered daily. Flowers are NOT allowed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Mail received after you are discharged will be forwarded to your home. Mail for patients should be addressed as follows:

Medicines

We will need a complete list of medicines you are currently taking, including those not prescribed or ordered by your doctor. While in the hospital, please take only medicines administered by your nurse. If the medicines are not given at the same time as you normally take them, please let us know and we will try to do things as you do at home. Sometimes meals or tests may hinder your normal routine.

We use generic medicines when possible to keep costs low. Because of this, some medicines may look different from your usual pills. If you have questions about the pills or other medicines you are taking, do not hesitate to ask your nurse or physician.

Newspapers

Local newspapers are delivered daily to patient rooms. Extra copies may be purchased from boxes outside the northwest doors of the Medical Offices at Valley View, the medical office building just to the north of the main hospital building. Several news publications are also distributed free of charge in racks just inside the door to the main lobby.

Pediatric Care

For the safety of our pediatric patients, those under the age of 12, we may require an adult to stay with them at all times. Parents, physicians and nursing staff will jointly determine the need to have an adult in the room at all times for pediatric patients over age 12. If your child is under 2 years of age, we require the use of a baby bed for the safety of your child.

Pet Visitation

Valley View Medical Center is committed to providing personalized care that recognizes the benefits of integrating traditional medicine with complimentary medicine as a supportive service. A patient must be deemed, by their physician, as appropriate to benefit from the visit of his/her dog. Only dogs that are certified to be medically fit shall be allowed to visit. Please make sure that your nurse is advised ahead of time.

Heat kills pets in cars, especially here in the desert. If you are visiting someone at Valley View, please do NOT leave your pet unattended in a car. Even with the windows cracked, car interiors can exceed 120F degrees in a matter of minutes. Valley View personnel will call law enforcement and animal control officials to break into a car, if necessary, rescue the pet and cite the driver.

"Making A Difference" Program

"Making A Difference" cards are used to recognize employees and volunteers who “go the extra mile” for our customers, which include: Patients, Vendors, Visitors, Physicians, and co-workers. A card can be completed by anyone who wants to recognize what a Valley View member did to shine for them. "Making A Difference" cards are available just outside the Gift Shop. They are also included in yellow patient information packets provided to every admitted patient.

Smoking Policy

To protect your health and the health of others, Valley View Medical Center is a smoke-free environment. Smoking is not permitted in patient rooms, corridors, lobbies, waiting rooms or any other area of the hospital. Effective November 15 2012, the entire Valley View campus will become smoke-free and tobacco-free. That includes walkways, driveways, parking lots and adjacent medical office buildings. At that time there will no longer be designated smoking areas outside the hospital.

Telephones

The telephone at your bedside is for your use and convenience. To make local calls, dial "9" and wait for the dial tone, then dial your desired number. Long distance, credit card or collect calls may be placed by dialing "9" + area code and desired number. The hospital utilizes AT&T as its long distance company. If you wish to use a different company for credit card calls, dial your company's access code after dialing "9" + "0" or use the 800 number listed on your credit cards after dialing "9" + "1".

Telephone Tips

Dialing the Hospital Operator from your room - Press "0"
Placing a local Call from your room - Press "9" then dial the number
Long Distance & Calling Card Calls from your room - Press "9" then "0"
To reach an Outside Operator from your room - Press "9" then "0"
Internal calls may be made by dialing the hospital's four-digit extension

Valuables

We encourage you to entrust your valuables to a friend or relative while you are in the hospital. If you have valuables at the hospital please ask the nurse for a Special Valuable Envelope. Your valuables can be placed in the hospital safe, by the House Supervisor, once you have sealed them in the Special Valuables Envelope. The envelope must be filled out and signed by you or a responsible relative and your nurse. The content list will remain with your hospital chart and a copy of the list will be sealed inside the Valuables Envelope. Ask your Nurse about this hospital policy if you would like to use it. The hospital cannot be responsible for lost items unless they are placed in a Valuables Envelope. Glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids and dentures must be documented in your chart.